Railway-signal.



No.'869,l96. 'PATENTED 0013.22. 1907;

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RAILWAY SIGNAL.

APPLIOATION FILED JULY 25. 1905.

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PATENTED OCT. 22. 19 07.

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- RAILWAISIGNAL. APPLICATION FILED JULY 25, 1905.

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ROBERT D. PETERS, OF KNOX, INDIANA.

RAILWAY-SIGNAL.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 22, 1907.

Application filed July 25.1905. semi No. 271.223.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, ROBERT D, PETERS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Knox, in the county of Starke and State of Indiana, have invented new and useful Improvements in Railway-Signals, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to railway signals of the semaphore type, and has for its objects to produce a'simple efiicient device of this character in which the number of movable parts is reduced to a minimum, thereby obviating liability of the signal becoming disordered, and one-wherein the signal will be wholly automatic in its movements and normally maintained in danger position.

A further object of the invention is to provide a device of this character, including a movable member or core and pole pieces cooperating therewith for operating the semaphore, in which the pole pieces will alternately repel or attract the core for swinging the semaphore to signaling positions, and one wherein the current changing devices will be automatically controlled by the entrance of trains through a block system in which the signal is included.

With these and other objects in view, the invention comprises the novel features of construction and combi nation of parts more fully hereinafter described.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a vertical longitudinal section transversely of a signal embodying the invention. Fig. 2 is' a similar view, the sections being takenat right angles to Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a diagrammatic view showing the circuit in which the signal is included.

Referring to the drawings, 1 designates a tubular post or standard which in practice stands at a suitable point at the side of a railway, and has mounted on its upper end a lamp box 2 with side openings 3 and a front open ing 4, which latter faces the railway track, it being un derstood that this box will in practice contain the usual system of red, white and green lights.

Mounted on top of the box 2 and communicating therewith through the medium of an opening 5 is a casing 6 designed to inclose the movable member or core 7 of an electric motor, this core being fixed upon a rotary shaft 8 disposed centrally of the casing and journaled in suitable bearings provided in opposite walls of the latter, there being fixed upon one end of the shaft which projects outside of the casing, a semaphore blade 9 weighted at its normally lower end as at 10, whereby the semaphore will normally stand in vertical position as will also the heads 11, 12 of the core 7, it being apparent that, inasmuch, as the core and semaphore are both fixed upon the shaft they will move in unison with the latter. I

Fixed at diametrically opposite points within the casing and disposed in a horizontalplane normally perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the core and semaphore are the stationary members or pole pieces of the motor, designated herein respectively as the right pole 13 and the left pole 14, the contact faces of the pole pieces being concaved and the outer faces of the heads 11, 12 curved to conform to the concave faces of the heads.

The shaft 8 includes in its organization a section 15 composed of fiber or other suitable insulating material and having a central bore in which is entered a metal contact portion or pin 16 projected beyond the outer end of the section 15 and journaled in a metal bearing member or block 17 constituting a contact insulated from the adjacent wall 18 of the casing by insulating material 19, the said wall 18 being in the form of a removable cap through the medium of which access may be had to the mechanism housed within the casing.

Referring particularly to Fig. 3, wherein is diagrammatically illustrated the circuits for the system, 2021 represent sections of the track included in the same block and insulated from each other, as at 22, it being understood that the track section included in any one block is divided into a central section 21 and end sections 20 insulated therefrom, thus duplicating the apparatus at each end of the track.

In order to permit the operating train, that is the leading train to be affected by a train following and in the same block, a particular series of circuits including a pole changer must be utilized. This is particularly shown in Fig. 3, the detailed circuits controlled by the train on section 21 of the track being first described. This circuit includes electro-magnets 23-24 having conductors 25 and 26 leading to the respective rails of the track section 21 and including a source of energy, as a battery 27. Arranged adjacent each electro-magnet are a pair of contacts 2829, and a pair of armatures 3031, designed upon the energization of the magnet to close a circuit through the respective contacts. The contacts 28 are connected by wires 32 with the contact 17 and in turn connected through the medium of the contact pin 16 with one terminal of the coil wire 33, the other terminal of which is connected at 34 with the core 7. The core 7 as previously described is in metallic circuit with the casing 6 anda conductor 35 leads from the casing through the medium of a conductor 36 to the armature 30. By this arrangement the core is energized upon contact of the armature 30 with the contact 28', a source of energy, as 37, being included, as shown. The field circuit, controlled through the contact 29 and armature 31 includes a conductor 38 leading from the armature 31 to and around the pole pieces 13 in respectively reverse directions, a signal conductor connecting the armatures 31 of both electro-magnets 23 and 24. A conductor 39 leads from the contact 29 through one bar 40 of the pole changer 41, through a source of energy 42, through the other bar of the pole changer 43, through a conductor 44 to and beyond the signaling apparatus and connected to the conductor 38 beyond the signaling apparatus. In this connection it is to be noted that the conductor 44 including the contact 29 of one electro-magnet, as 23, is in electrical connection with the conductor 38 leading from the armature 31 of the other electro-magnet, as 24, and between said electro-magnet and the signal. The source of energy included in the field circuit, as 42, includes conductors 45 terminating in two contact points 46 and 47, and a conductor 48 terminating in two contact points 49 and 50. The respective points 46 and 50 are so disposed as to be engaged by the arms of the pole changer in one position of the latter, while the points 47 and 49 are in circuit with the pole changer in the other position of the latter. It is thus at once obvious that with the pole changer in one position the current will flow from the source of energy in one direction, and that with the pole changer in the other position the direction of the how of current will be reversed.

The section of the track 20 is arranged to control the position of the pole changer, being in a normally open circuit including conductors 5]. and 52 leading from the respective contacts of the section and energized through the medium of a source of energy 53 and the electro-magnet 54 of the pole changer. In order, however, to avoid influencing the normal circuits controlled from the section 21 of the track by a train riding upon section 20, without the presence of a train upon section 21, the conductor 52 includes spaced contacts 55, and the armature 30 of the core circuit is provided with an extended and insulated arm 56 adapted when the electro-magnet adjacent said armature is energized to bridge the contacts 55 and thereby close the normal break in the conductor 52.

With the parts assembled as described, a train riding upon section 20 will not affect the circuits in any way owing to the fact that the conductor 52 is normally broken. As said train, however, rides upon the section 21, assuming it to be traveling toward the right in Fig. 3 the electro-magnet 23 is energized and the armatures 30 and 31 operated. The core 7 is thus energized and the field also energized. Owing to the reverse winding of the respective fields different magnetic poles are formed in the respective fields 13 and 14 and the heads 11 and 12 are at once attracted, thereby swinging the semaphore arm 9 in one direction, and holding it in the non-danger position. If, however, two trains enter the section 21 from opposite ends th field currents will neutralize each other and, therefore, the semaphore arm will remain in normal or dan ger position. Should a train, called the operating train, enter section 21, and a second following train, called the controlling train, ride upon section 20, the effect would be as follows: The operating train would operate the armatures 30 and 31 as above noted to energize the core and field circuits, at the same time bridging the contacts 55 of the conductor 52. The controlling train, however, being upon section 20 of the track would energize the electro-magnet 54, thereby operating the pole changer and reversing the direction of the current from the source of energy 42. The current, therefore, would flow through the field in a reverse direction, and polarize the respective fields 13 and 14 in exact reverse order from that described in the normal single train operation. As the energization of the core is not changed the effect of the pole changer, operated as described, would cause the semaphore blade to swing in the opposite direction from the non-danger position, thereby advising the engineer of the operating train that a second train was following and was in the same block.

It will, of course, be obvious that a train passing over the insulation 22 with a portion of said train on track section 21 and another portion on track section 20, the signal would be affected in the same manner as when separate trains occupied the respective sections. This signaling would be but momentary, however, and would not affect the protective feature of the system in any way.

Having thus described the invention what I claim is:

l. A signaling device having a normally open circuit including the coils of a pair of pole pieces, a core arranged for movement between the pole pieces, a signal carried by and movable with the latter, and means controlled by an approaching train to energize the pole pieces for attracting the core and moving the signal in one direction, and means for affecting the train controlled means to cause it to reversely affect the signal under certain conditions.

2. A signaling device comprising duplicate normally open circuits both including the coils of a pair of pole pieces, a movable core arranged between the pole pieces, a signal carried by and movable with the core, and means controlled by trains approaching from opposite directions for closing the circuits and neutralizing the electrical influence on the pole pieces.

3. A signaling apparatus including a normally open cir cuit having coils for energizing a pair of pole pieces, a signal normally set at danger, and means controlled by a train approaching from either direction for energizing the pole pieces and operating the signal, said means being arranged to be controlled by a following train to reverse the signal effect of the operating train.

4. In a device of the class described, a pair of normally open circuits, a signal included therein and operable by closing of either of the circuits, said signal remaining in normal position on closing both of the circuits, and means controlled by approaching trains for closing either or both of the circuits.

5. In a device of'the class described, a rotary shaft, a core fixed thereon, a semaphore fixed upon and movable with the shaft, a pair of pole pieces designed to cooperate with the core for rotating the shaft respectively in reverse direction, a pair of open circuits including the pole pieces and core, means controlled by operating trains for closing either of the circuits to energize both pole pieces, and means controlled by a train following either operating train for reversing the effect of said operating train upon the controlling means.

6. In a device of the class described, a pair of oppositely disposed pole pieces, a shaft mounted for rotation between the same, a core lixed upon the shaft, a signal element also fixed upon the shaft, means for maintaining said signal in normal position, a pair of normally open circuits respectively including the pole pieces and core, and means controlled by approaching trains for closing either of the circuits to energize the corresponding pole piece and rotate the shaft in a predetermined direction or for closing both circuits to neutralize both pole pieces and maintain the shaft in stationary position.

7. A signaling apparatus including a plurality of normally open circuits, a signal, means for operating the signal upon the closing of either of said circuits, and means controlled by a traveling train for changing the signal effect of either ,of said circuits.

8. A signaling apparatus including a plurality of normally open circuits, a signal affected upon the closing of either of said circuits, and means controlled by a train for reversing the normal flow of current in either of said circuits, whereby upon the operation of said means the signal will be reversely alfected as respects its normal operation.

9. A signal apparatus including a signal normally set at danger, means controlled by an approaching train for operating said signal, additional means controlled by an approaching train for similarly operating the signal, said respective means being arranged to neutralize each other 10 when simultaneously affected by approaching trains.

in testimony whereof, I afilx my signature in presence of two Witnesses.

ROBERT D. PETERS.

Witnesses I. M. S. BIOORMAN, CHARLES C. KELLEY. 

